View source for 60th parallel north

{{Location map-line|lat=60}}
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{{short description|Circle of latitude in the Northern Hemisphere}}
The '''60th parallel north''' is a [[circle of latitude]] that is 60 [[degree (angle)|degrees]] [[true north|north]] of [[Earth]]'s [[equator]]. It crosses [[Europe]], [[Asia]], the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[North America]], and the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

Although it lies approximately twice as far away from the Equator as from the [[North Pole]], the 60th parallel is half as long as the Equator line, due to the [[cosine]] of 60 degrees being 0.5. This is where the Earth bulges halfway as much as on the Equator.

At this latitude, the [[Sun]] is visible for 18 hours, 52 minutes during the [[June solstice]] and 5 hours, 52 minutes during the [[December solstice]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-24|title=Duration of Daylight/Darkness Table for One Year|url=http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012094319/http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php|archive-date=2019-10-12|access-date=2021-03-10|website=U.S. Naval Observatory}}</ref>
The maximum [[horizontal coordinate system|altitude]] of the Sun is 53.44° on 21 June and 6.56° on 21 December.
The maximum [[horizontal coordinate system|altitude]] of the Sun is > 15.00º in October and > 8.00º in November. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html|title=Earth Fact Sheet|author=NASA|access-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref>

The lowest latitude where [[Midnight_sun#White_nights|white nights]] can be observed is approximately on this parallel.

During the summer solstice, nighttime does not get beyond [[nautical twilight]], a condition which lasts throughout the month of June. It is possible to view both astronomical dawn and dusk every day between August 22 and April 21.

==Around the world==
[[Malachy Tallack]] wrote a book, ''Sixty Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home'', about his travels along the general line of the parallel, starting and finishing at [[Shetland]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Self |first1=Will |author-link=Will Self|title=60 Degrees North by Malachy Tallack review – around the world in search of home |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/08/60-degrees-north-around-the-world-in-search-of-a-home-malachy-tallack-review |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Tallack |first1=Malacky|author-link=Malachy Tallack| title=Sixty Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home |date=2017 |publisher=Pegasus Books|isbn=9781681774619}}</ref>

Starting at the [[Prime Meridian]] and heading eastwards, the parallel 60° north passes through:

:{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" width="125" | Coordinates
! scope="col" | Country, territory or ocean
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|0|0|E|type:landmark|name=Prime Meridian}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[North Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|5|3|E|type:country|name=Norway}}
! scope="row" | {{NOR}}
| Islands of [[Stolmen]] and [[Selbjørn]], [[Hordaland]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|5|12|E|type:landmark|name=Prime Meridian}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Bekkjarviksundet, [[Selbjørnsfjorden]], [[North Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|5|15|E|type:country|name=Norway}}
! scope="row" | {{NOR}}
| Island of [[Huftarøy]], [[Hordaland]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|5|17|E|type:landmark|name=Prime Meridian}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Langenuen]], [[North Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|5|22|E|type:country|name=Norway}}
! scope="row" | {{NOR}}
| Islands of [[Reksteren]], [[Tysnesøy]] and the mainland [[Hordaland]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|5|52|E|type:landmark|name=Prime Meridian}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Hardangerfjorden]], [[North Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|5|59|E|type:country|name=Norway}}
! scope="row" | {{NOR}}
| Mainland: [[Folgefonna]] [[glacier]], [[Telemark]], [[Buskerud]], [[Akershus]], [[Oslo]], [[Hedmark]], [[Østfold]]<br>Passing just north of the [[Capital city|capital]] [[Oslo]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|12|23|E|type:country|name=Sweden}}
! scope="row" | {{SWE}}
| Passing through [[Fagersta]]<br/> Passing just north of [[Uppsala]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|18|53|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Baltic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|20|8|E|type:country|name=Åland Islands}}
! scope="row" | {{FIN}}
| Högskär, Bäckö and several smaller islands, {{ALA}}
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|20|58|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Baltic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|23|30|E|type:country|name=Finland}}
! scope="row" | {{FIN}}
| Passing through [[Ekenäs, Finland|Ekenäs]] 
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|23|58|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Baltic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|24|26|E|type:country|name=Finland}}
! scope="row" | {{FIN}}
| [[Porkkala]] peninsula
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|24|30|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Baltic Sea]], [[Gulf of Finland]] <br>Passing just south of [[Helsinki]], {{FIN}} and the island of [[Gogland]], {{RUS}}
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|27|48|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| [[Moshchny Island]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|27|54|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Gulf of Finland]], [[Baltic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|29|44|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| Island of [[Kotlin Island|Kotlin]] (city of [[Kronstadt]])
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|29|47|E|type:waterbody|name=Baltic Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Gulf of Finland]], [[Baltic Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|30|5|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| Passing through [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Lake Ladoga]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|154|30|E|type:waterbody|name=Sea of Okhotsk}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Shelikhov Gulf]], [[Sea of Okhotsk]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|161|28|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|165|14|E|type:waterbody|name=Bering Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Bering Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|166|10|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
|[[Pylgin Range]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|166|33|E|type:waterbody|name=Bering Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |  [[Olyutor Gulf]], [[Bering Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|170|9|E|type:country|name=Russia}}
! scope="row" | {{RUS}}
| [[Olyutor Peninsula]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|170|26|E|type:waterbody|name=Bering Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Bering Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|167|8|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Alaska]] - [[Nunivak Island]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|165|39|W|type:waterbody|name=Etolin Strait}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Etolin Strait]], [[Bering Sea]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|164|9|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Alaska]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|152|38|W|type:waterbody|name=Cook Inlet}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Cook Inlet]], [[Gulf of Alaska]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|151|44|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Alaska]] - [[Kenai Peninsula]], [[Evans Island]], [[Elrington Island]], [[Latouche Island]] and [[Montague Island (Alaska)|Montague Island]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|147|24|W|type:waterbody|name=Pacific Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Gulf of Alaska]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|144|24|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Alaska]] - [[Wingham Island]], [[Kayak Island]] and a small section of mainland
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|143|50|W|type:waterbody|name=Pacific Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Pacific Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Gulf of Alaska]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|141|53|W|type:country|name=United States}}
! scope="row" | {{USA}}
| [[Alaska]]
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|139|3|W|type:country|name=Canada}}
! scope="row" | {{CAN}}
| [[Yukon]] / [[British Columbia]] border<br/> [[Northwest Territories]] / [[British Columbia]] border<br/> [[Northwest Territories]] / [[Alberta]] border - passes through [[Wood Buffalo National Park]] and beside [[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith, NT]]<br/> [[Northwest Territories]] / [[Saskatchewan]] border<br/> [[Nunavut]] / [[Manitoba]] border
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|94|49|W|type:waterbody|name=Hudson Bay}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Arctic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Hudson Bay]]<br>Passing just north of the [[Ottawa Islands]], [[Nunavut]], {{CAN}}
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|77|17|W|type:country|name=Canada}}
! scope="row" | {{CAN}}
| [[Quebec]]<br>Passing just south of [[Puvirnituq]], [[Quebec]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|69|46|W|type:waterbody|name=Ungava Bay}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Arctic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Ungava Bay]]<br>Passing just south of [[Kangirsuk]], [[Quebec]], {{CAN}}
|-valign="top"
| {{Coord|60|0|N|65|7|W|type:country|name=Canada}}
! scope="row" | {{CAN}}
| [[Quebec]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|64|9|W|type:waterbody}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | Border between the [[Davis Strait]] (to the north) and the [[Labrador Sea]] (to the south)<ref name=iho>{{Cite web |url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition |year=1953 |publisher=International Hydrographic Organization |access-date=28 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho-ohi.net/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S23_1953.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2011 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|44|52|W|type:country|name=Greenland}}
! scope="row" | {{GRL}}
| Passing south of [[Narsaq]]; crossing mainland at [[Narsarmijit, Greenland|Narsarmijit]]; going through [[Cape Farewell Archipelago]], passing just north of [[Egger Island|Itilleq Island]]
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|43|9|W|type:waterbody|name=Atlantic Ocean}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" |
|-
| {{Coord|60|0|N|1|21|W|type:country|name=United Kingdom}}
! scope="row" | {{UK}}
| Islands of [[Mainland, Shetland|Mainland]] and [[Mousa]], [[Shetland|Shetland Islands]], {{SCO}}
|-
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | {{Coord|60|0|N|1|11|W|type:waterbody|name=North Sea}}
! scope="row" style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| style="background:#b0e0e6;" | [[North Sea]]
|}

==Notable cities and towns on 60°N==
*[[Whitehorse]], Yukon, Canada
*[[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]], Northwest Territories, Canada
*[[Bergen]], Vestland, Norway
*[[Oslo]], Norway
*[[Helsinki]], Uusimaa, Finland
*[[Espoo]], Uusimaa, Finland
*[[Saint Petersburg]], Russia

==Canada==
[[File:60th parallel Canada.svg|thumb|right|The 60th parallel north in Canada, marking the southern borders of [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]], and the [[Nunavut]] mainland.]]
In [[Canada]], the 60th parallel forms the southern mainland boundary of the [[Northern Canada|northern territories]] of [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]] with the [[Western Canada|western]] provinces of [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], and [[Manitoba]].

Accordingly, "north of 60" is an expression often used for the territories, although parts of Nunavut (the islands in [[Hudson Bay]] and [[James Bay]]) are located south of the 60th parallel, and parts of [[Quebec]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] are located north, to the east of Hudson Bay. A 1990s TV show on [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] about life in the [[Northwest Territories]] was called ''[[North of 60]]''.

The [[List of protected areas of the Northwest Territories|60th Parallel Territorial Park]] is on [[Mackenzie Highway]] between [[Alberta]] and [[Northwest Territories]] and it has a visitor centre there in the homeland of the [[Yellowknives Dene First Nation]] and the [[North Slave Métis Alliance]].<ref>{{cite web |title=60th Parallel Visitor Information Centre |url=https://spectacularnwt.com/attractions/60th-parallel-visitor-information-centre/ |website=Spectacular NWT |publisher=Northwest Territories Tourism |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref>

Canada's only [[Four corners (Canada)|four corners]] are located at the intersection of the 60th parallel and the [[102nd meridian west]], between the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

==Greenland==
Between 1776 and 1950, the 60th parallel formed the southern limit of the [[Royal Greenland Trade Department]]'s exclusive monopoly on trade near the [[Denmark-Norway|Dano-Norwegian]] and later [[Denmark|Danish]] colonies of [[Greenland]] (1776&ndash;1782) and [[South Greenland]] (1782&ndash;1950).<ref name="ole!">Marquardt, Ole. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=FZQcjsSitEcC&pg=PA156 Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy]" in ''The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?''. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.</ref>

==See also==
*[[59th parallel north]]
*[[61st parallel north]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{-}}
{{geographical coordinates|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Circles of latitude|n60]]
[[Category:Borders of Yukon]]
[[Category:Borders of the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:Borders of Nunavut]]
[[Category:Borders of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Borders of Alberta]]
[[Category:Borders of Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Borders of Manitoba]]